Studying Abroad Turns The Tables On Campus Norms

By Kelsi Brooks on January 31, 2014

Cultural norms refer to the collective expectations of what constitute proper or improper behavior in a given situation”

(Olsen, 1978)

As an international student at Veritas University, one of the hardest things to do is to get out of your comfort zone.

Those first couple of weeks feel like a race against time. Your professors have a funny accent, you cannot understand your host family, and you are totally exhausted from trying to translate everything from Spanish to English.

You’re learning things like: How much is the fare to … ? What bus do we take? How do you say inexpensive?

Needless to say, dynamics are very different here in Costa Rica.

Your new university has windows and trees everywhere, the sunlight is distracting, everyone wears stylish clothing, and you wish you had packed less beach wear.

Your best friends have become the Spanish dictionary, other international students, and your roommate(s). Food is very different, exotic, or distasteful. You aren’t used to eating this much.

You miss hot sauce, watching Netflix, and you wish you could use your cell phone (your nice cell phone that just sits there and laughs at you). You get lost and disoriented easily in your new neighborhood; you can’t walk around at night by yourself after 5:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m.

across the water

You are overwhelmed with culture shock and the need to be understood, so you start to ask questions like: How do I pay for lunch at a restaurant? What’s the nearest grocery store? Do I look like a  gringo today? Oops, I put on shorts, should I change?

The days feel too long and the nights too short. You wake up at 6 a.m. now to be ready for your 8 a.m. Spanish course, lunch is a mystery every day, and dinner is a guessing game.

Veritas Unversity

Veritas University (Fall 2013)

Week 3

You’ve settled in a bit. You know how to order food in Spanish, you can buy tortillas and snacks at Pali and peanut butter at Pequeno Mundo, and your love for reggae and salsa has increased.

So what happened?

  • You went to dance class on Tuesdays and Thursdays to meet new people.
  • You explored the city of San Jose with your new comrades.
  • You ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch because it was cheaper than eating out every day.
  • You order less and save more money when you go out.
  • You learned the rules of the house and became more acquainted with your host family.
  • You took the shuttle after your night classes and take a taxi when you go out at night.
  • You bought a Tico phone.
  • You photo bomb pictures when you hang out with your friends.
  • You meet people in the Library and hang out in the plazalito.

More on getting out of your comfort zone

In short, you have gotten out of your comfort zone little by little. 

And even though you are in a foreign country, you mind does not have to feel foreign all the time. Getting into the rhythm of life while studying abroad is not easy. It takes time and effort on your part.

In order to feel comfortable, you have to get uncomfortable. You have to try that weird wrapped sandwich at the food stand, you have to talk to complete strangers, you have to have awkward conversations with your host family at the dinner table, and you must explore your new home.

 

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